Steadfast by Claudia Gray

Pages: 384

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Spellcaster #2

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: Mar 4, 2014

Nadia, Mateo, and Verlaine have saved Captive's Sound from the dark Sorceress Elizabeth...or so they thought. Despite their best efforts, a crack opened and a new, greater evil seeped through. With Mateo as her Steadfast, Nadia's magic is magnified and she is more powerful than ever. But there is still so much she doesn't know about the craft, leaving her open and vulnerable to a darker magic...which has begun to call Nadia's name.

I got this unsolicited, and I was a bit anxious going into it. I wasn't the biggest fan of Spellcaster, but I hadn't hated it, so I honestly didn't know how I'd feel about Steadfast (even if the cover was pretty!) Thankfully, I actually loved this one, though maybe not as much as I could've or wanted to.

The biggest problem I had with this story was the POV issue. We saw the story through the point of view of almost every single character that had some kind of role in the story. Sometimes they'd have a whole chapter, sometimes only five paragraphs, and it got really annoying really quickly. Not only was it confusing, but it took away part of the mystery and allure Steadfast could've had and I'm pretty sure I had the same problem with Spellcaster.

I'm not saying there weren't any twists--because God knows there were a ton, but there just weren't any sudden moments of doubt for our characters, any hesitation in trusting the characters. For example, Asa, a character who's quickly introduced and quickly revealed to be more than human, was always not-evil. Yeah, he worked for the "One Beneath" but it was evident that he would fall in love with a certain character, and predictable that he would sacrifice something for her. And we were told that he hated Elizabeth too, so we never doubted his motives.

But the read was still pretty awesome because even though the mystery was taken away, Elizabeth's point of view bits were absolutely sinister and made it pretty clear she was psycho and completely devoted to the devil. She was crazy and a perfect antagonist who sent shivers down my spine and was so deluded but so powerful--a pretty scary combination if I do say so myself.

Verlaine's situation was emphasized and it was absolutely heartbreaking to see how terrible and horrible it would be to be unloved, when, by all accounts, she should be. It made me love her and she started turning into a more major character than just the sidekick, something I definitely enjoyed seeing!

Steadfast was a pretty fantastic sequel, and better than the first one in my opinion, though I definitely had a few issues with it. It was a decent read though, and if you loved Spellcaster, you're guaranteed to love this one!

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Random Musings: Books. Plain and Simple

(Repinned from http://pinterest.com/dragonflyturtle/ on Pinterest) 

This will, most likely, be a super rambly post since you know, this is pretty random and this is all brain vomit. I refuse to use backspace. Also this will be 100% cheesy.

Sooooo...books. That's all this blog is really about isn't it? But I don't think I've ever talked about books in the large general category. And whoever said books are life changing? They're right. What's sad is that sometimes I can't remember every single book I've read, every word, every letter. And I hate to forget my favorite books, but it happens.

http://barbara-bibliotecaria.tumblr.com/page/2

And it's just horrible because I always end up learning something from every character, every world, every twist of a story. And I have fun with all the characters who're there, quick to laugh, quick to love. And just forgetting their adventures? It's excruciating. So I guess that's what Goodreads is for. But I'm never going to remember all the feelings I had when I first read it and I'm never going to have the time to reread all my favorites.

Repinned from
http://pinterest.com/allthingsregal/whats-in-a-book/

And then that moment when you see these characters grow up, and you grow up with them, and you just realize--Oh my God the series is going to end. And you just want to break down crying because you'll never see your favorite characters in their lives ever again. I actually did cry the month before Iron Knight released. Several times. While listening to the Iron Fey playlists. THANK THE LORD FOR THE SPINOFF SERIES  OR I WOULD BE ON MY KNEES. It was just so heartbreaking seeing my favorite characters just go *poof* Seriously. There was a pain in my
chest. I felt like someone murdered my best friend.

Books have absolutely affected me and anyone who says reading sucks just hasn't done it right, or they haven't had the chance to meet their favorite book. Because when you do? The tears and the laughs and those moments where you just realize what the author was trying to do...oh God. I just can never keep my feelings in check.

It's so easy to call something your "favorite book" or your "new favorite book", but I think less than half of those claims are true. So here's my question--

What's your favorite book? Your number one, always can rely on, always there to comfort you, book?

http://pinterest.com/serinazhane/more-than-words-wow-words-of-wisdom/

A GRIM Blog Tour

I'm excited to be on the Grim Blog Tour, especially since I loved this creepy anthology so much! (Check out my review here) 

This was, probably, one of my favorites stories in the anthology! While dark and creepy is something I love, there's something about a romance that stems from hate, especially if there's still some dark and creepy in it and if it's as compelling as this short was! 

So ever since I was a kid, Beauty and the Beast was always my favorite Grimm tale (East of the Sun, West of the Moon which is pretty much the same thing, my ultimate favorite, and Cupid and Psyche my favorite Greek myth.) So yeah, I'm pretty obsessed with the story and it mayyy have something to do with me loving Beast/Beast so much! I used to scour my library for B&B retellings and ended up rereading each one every time!
Funnily, now that I'm talking about it, I remember something from preschool. We were allowed to pick two tiny story books (Really they were only maybe 10 tiny little pages, 3x2 each) that held a illustrated story in each and I practically shoved all the other kids away from the Beauty and the Beast one so I could have it.

We all know how big a Kagawa fan I was, so I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw she wrote a story in this anthology! And leave it to her to pick the story that's so hard to write a YA retelling for, short story or not--The Three Little Pigs. Then again, this is Kagawa, and she made it as creepy and horrendous as a regular Grimm tale. I'm thoroughly impressed! And if I didn't already love the anthology, this would sort of seal the deal.

Now, if you've never heard of the children's story book The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs I don't know if I can talk to you anymore. My teachers have read this to me at least 5 times throughout my years as a preschooler to a 2nd grader and when I realized that The Brothers Piggett was a story on the Three Little Pigs...well I was a bit hesitant, because this was, legit, the only Three Little Pigs retelling I could think of.
Somehow though, Julie Kagawa manages to rework her magic with words and creates a more complex story while sticking true to the important bits of the Three Little Pigs. How the heck does she do that again?

Untethered had an unbelievable twist that I honestly didn't see coming, surprising, especially for a short! I loved it so much though and was absolutely surprised. Not to mention how touching and heartbreaking the story was and how, in the end, it was just so beautiful. I think I actually got a bit misty eyed by the end of it. There's no way you can't love this story!

This one isn't a retelling, or not one I can think of at least, and I don't really think I can say anything without spoiling it. But I'm going to say that it sort of reminds me of one of my favorite books: The Catastrophic History of You and Me, but I'm going to zip my lips after that.
I don't really have a story related to this, but I'll leave you with this: the second story of my house used to be an attic and sometimes I hear creepy noises coming up from there. Also, once you walk up the stairs, there's a door that leads to a closet and in that closet there's a door that's maybe a foot and half by a foot and a half that is creeeeeppppyyyyyy. Do I need an exorcist?

About GRIM

Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today:

Kimberly Derting | Sonia Gensler | Tessa Gratton | Claudia Gray | Rachel Hawkins | Amanda Hocking | Ellen Hopkins | Shaun David Hutchinson | Julie Kagawa | Malinda Lo | Myra McEntire | Saundra Mitchell | Jackson Pearce | Sarah Rees Brennan | Dia Reeves | Jon Skovron | Jeri Smith Read

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

Follow the Tour 

• Monday, February 17th - Harlequin Paranormal Blog
• Tuesday, February 18th - Stories 1, 2 and 3 - Two Chicks on Books
• Wednesday, February 19th - Stories 4, 5 and 6 - Book and A Latte
• Friday, February 21st - Stories 7, 8 and 9 - Fiction Freak
• Monday, February 24th - Stories 10, 11 and 12 - Mundie Moms
• Wednesday, February 26th -  Stories 13, 14 and 15 - Bumbles and Fairytales
• Friday, February 28th -  Stories 16 and 17 - Fiktshun

Giveaway

Giveaway is US/Can

Each tour stop is offering up a copy of GRIM, and one winner will receive a fantastic Grand Prize Package including the following Harlequin Teen titles: 2 copies of GRIM, a copy of WHITE HOT KISS by Jennifer Armentrout, THE SECRET DIAMOND SISTERS by Michelle Madow, THE QUEEN’S CHOICE by Cayla Kluver and an ARC of  LET’S GET LOST by Adi Alsaid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Waiting on Wednesday

Where Silence Gathers by Kelsey Sutton

Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Tate sits outside Nate Foster’s house, clutching a gun. After serving ten years for the drunk driving accident that killed Alex’s family, Nate has been released from prison. Every night, Alex waits out of sight, building up the courage to exact her own justice. There’s just one problem: Forgiveness.
Alex has been able to see personified Emotions for as long as she can remember, and Revenge is her best friend. But when Forgiveness suddenly appears, he offers Alex a choice—getting even or moving on. It’s impossible to decide when Revenge whispers in one ear . . . and Forgiveness whispers in the other. 

*Update: I READ IT
OH MY GOD I DO NEED THIS. I LOVED SQP AND NOW. NOW LOOKIT THIS. LOOKIT IT. OMFG. And this cover is so totally amazing and it would look amazing next to SQP. EDKJSFC;J;L

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The Lure by Lynne Ewing

Pages: 288

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Feb 11, 2014

Fifteen-year-old Blaise Montgomery lives in the gritty outskirts of Washington, DC, where a stray bullet can steal a life on the way to school. Drugs and violence are the only ways to survive, so Blaise and her friends turn to gangs for safety, money, and love. When Blaise is invited to join Core 9, one of the most infamous crews, she jumps at the chance. Though her best guy friends, Rico and Satch, warn her about the danger, she agrees to be beaten for a minute straight as part of the gang's initiation ritual.
Now Blaise is finally part of a crew. A family.
But things get only more dangerous when she becomes a member of Core 9 and tensions with a rival gang heat up. Trek, the head of Core 9, asks Blaise to be his "lure," the sexy bait he'll use to track down enemy gang members and exact revenge. Rico and Satch tell her it's a death sentence, but Blaise can't resist the money and unparalleled power. As Trek puts Blaise in increasingly dangerous situations, she begins to see that there's more to lose than she ever realized-including Satch, the one person who has the power to get under her skin. With death lurking around every corner, should Blaise continue to follow the only path she's ever known, or cut and run?

I wasn't so sure about The Lure when I first heard of it, especially since the character already felt a bit naive and idiotic when the synopsis says that Rico and Satch warn her about the dangers (also it sort of reminds you of a love triangle right?) I was definitely wary and didn't really plan on reading it, but I got a copy and one thing lead to another...
And well, I'm so glad I took a chance!

Gritty is sort of an understatement for this book, where gang life is pretty much the only life--literally. In YA you'll see mentions of gangs where they're evil, someone caught up in gang life and desperate to get out, but I've never seen a book where a character strives to get in and thinks of it as a safety zone, and that's one of the things about The Lure. I'm probably one of the least qualified to know, but Blaise's situation struck me as heart achingly true and completely possible for anyone.

Blaise and her friends were naive and they were impulsive and they did make shitty decisions. But they were all understandable with their situations and they were portrayed in a desperate light where none of them really had a choice, and I pitied them.

Blaise, specifically though, didn't really seem to care about her friends in the latter part of the book. She did things behind her friends back and never really gave a crap about how her decisions would affect them unless it pushed the story forward.
I also wish that we'd seen more of her friends' situations and their own story lines throughout the story because, honestly, Blaise seemed to get herself into trouble most of the times while her friends had all been manipulated or pretty much forced into their situations.

The romance isn't really focused on throughout the story and I wouldn't necessarily SAY there was a love triangle, but there was definitely something. I'm not too sure I'm happy with the way it ended, but I'm glad it wasn't a love triangle at least!

The Lure is unlike so many books I've read before and while I was a bit out of my comfort zone, I still loved the gritty atmosphere, the desperate characters, and the wrenching story of no way out. I'd definitely recommend it if you're a lover of contemporary! (Gritty or otherwise.)

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Anthology: Grim

Pages: 480

Genre: Horror/Thriller

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: Feb 25, 2014

CLAIRE DE LUNE and NOCTURNE author Christine Johnson, ed.’s GRIM, an anthology of dark fairy tale retellings, featuring stories by New York Times bestselling authors Ellen Hopkins, Amanda Hocking, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Julie Kagawa, and others, to Natashya Wilson at HarlequinTeen, in a nice deal, for publication in Winter 2014, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (World).

So my first anthology review. This is actually going to be pretty short review (because there's no way I could write a review on each short story.)

The perfect thing about this is that I read it the week of Halloween. The spooky tales fit the mood, and retellings? Oh, I just absolutely adore those! (Who doesn't love fairy tales?)

Out of all the anthologies I've read, I just have to say--this is most definitely the best. I'm a fan of the majority of these authors and they definitely didn't let me down! From haunting and chilling to downright creepy and gruesome (with a sprinkle of humor and sci fi added of course!) these stories just brought to life the fairy tales of old. Something I actually liked was that they don't really tell you which fairy tales are being retold--and having gone through a fairy tale phase (still in that phase actually!) it was unbelievably fun matching fairytale to retelling. Not to mention how creative all the authors were in weaving in their own little twists to the originals.

Is that the end of my review? Guys, I thought you knew better! I always have things to say about fabulous books and, more specifically, retellings! 

I never realized how different writing styles to be, and that's definitely showcased here. And that's not bad at all! While there were some stories written like a true fairy tale or urban legend, some were written like a scene from a YA book while another was written in verse! All were gorgeous stories though that had me absolutely captivated!

Some were heartbreaking, some were hilarious, some were simply sad. But they all managed to just capture you like the fairy tales you grow up with and I definitely recommend this one for a rainy day read. There's a whirlwind of stories in here with fascinating characters, even if we only have them for a few thrilling pages!

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